Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the new respiratory virus SARS-CoV2. It has a tropism in the lung tissues where excess target receptors exist. Periostin plays a role in subepithelial fibrosis associated with bronchial asthma. Since the Coronavirus's target is the human respiratory system, Periostin has been recently described as a valuable new biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of disease in patients with COVID-19 lung involvement. Objectives: To assess the level of Periostin in the serum of COVID-19 patients and to correlate its role in disease severity and prognosis. Subjects and Methods: Periostin serum levels were measured for 63 patients attending three main COVID

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis; it is considered as one of the most common, infectious diseases and major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A prospective study was conducted to obtain more clarification about the impact of causative agent and its treatment to enhance autoantibodies production such as ANCA and BPI which used as diagnostic markers for several diseases, and to provide further insight into the classical risk factors (age and sex).Seventy patients with tuberculosis involved in this study, 35 of them were untreated and 35 with treatment administration these patients were attending to directorate of general health national reference laboratory in Baghdad during the period between November/ 2012 and

The use of containers in transportation leads to the reduction in time and effort of the process of loading and unloading of goods as well as protecting the goods from damage and breakage and to reduce the financial costs.
. This development has led also to make changes in the sizes and capacity of ships, therefore changes in the ports must be taken place where they must be provided with an appropriate depth for such vessels, that means the increase in the depth of ports and the establishment of wide storage yards and to provide appropriate mechanisms for handling process.
In this study, the researcher has dealt with this type of transport business in Iraqi ports, namely:
1- Khur Al-Zubair port.
2- Um Qaser port.
In order

Recent accumulated evidences suggest that prolactin is an important immunomodulator and may have a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of hyperprolactinemia in women with SLE and to evaluate its correlation with disease flares. Serum prolactin levels were measured in 62 women with SLE and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. In patients and control groups prolactin levels were determined by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). The prolactin level was found to be higher than normal rang in (40.3%) of SLE patients in active stage versus only (8.06%) of the same SLE patients but in the inactive stage and in (4%) of control group, the elevation was ranging between mi

Focusing of Gaussian laser beam through nonlinear media can induce spatial self- phase modulation which forms a far field intensity pattern of concentric rings. The nonlinear refractive index change of material depends on the number of pattern rings. In this paper, a formation of tunable nonlinear refractive index change of hybrid functionalized carbon nanotubes/silver nanoparticles acetone suspensions (F-MWCNTs/Ag-NPs) at weight mixing ratio of 1:3 and volume fraction of 6x10-6 , 9x10-6 , and 18x10-6 using laser beam at wavelength of 473nm was investigated experimentally. The results showed that tunable nonlinear refractive indices were obtained and increasing of incident laser power density led to increase the nonlinear refractive inde

Fire is the most sever environmental condition affecting on concrete structures, thus investigating for fire safet, IJSR, Call for Papers, Online Journal

The major aim of this research is study the effect of the type of lightweight aggregate (Porcelinite and Thermostone), type and ratio of the pozzolanic material(SF and HRM) and the use of different ratios of w/cm ratio(0.32 and 0.35) on the properties of SCLWC in the fresh and hardened state. SF and HRM are used in three percentage 5%,10%, and 15% as a partial replacement by weight of
cement for all types of SCLWC. The requirements of self-compatibility for SCC are fulfilled by using the high performance superplasticizer (G51) at 1.2liter per 100 kg of cement. The values of air dry density and compressive strength at age of 28 days within the limits of structural lightweight concrete. The air dry density and compressive strength at a